Used car salesmen arrive in Cable Street

Phase 2 of the Thames Tideway Tunnel (aka ‘the super sewer’) Consultation landed with a soft ‘plop’ in Shadwell today when Thames Water undertook the first of their super sewer drop in sessions in our area.

Visitors to Glamis Hall were subjected to the full Thames Water treatment. Few were impressed.

No mention of social cost

This resident played dumb and listened with interest as he was shown a presentation board which contrasted the issues surrounding the building of the super sewer outlet on a brownfield site (Heckford) or a greenfield site (King Edward Memorial Park).

The facts and figures were presented beautifully with the slight omission of there being any mention of the social cost of having KEMP turned into a building site for up to seven years – or up to three and a half years in Thames Water language.

The Thames Water version of the truth

An array of suited and booted Thames Water employees were on hand to answer questions with their very own version of the truth.

This is highlighted by Thames Water now pointing out that once they have finished trashing KEMP the park will actually be bigger! I kid you not.

This is like suggesting that a small nuclear device detonated in Wapping Lane would provide Shadwell residents with a much improved view of The Shard.

For one resident this was all a little too much…

Thames Water used car salesmen

"All our models come with air con as standard"

“You might as well have a line of cars here because you all sound like car salesmen!”, said an exasperated John Wright (pictured left).

However we think this comparison to used car salesmen is a little unfair as I once bought a nice little runner from Eric in Garnett Street…

Joking aside – and believe me this is no laughing matter – Thames Water seem to be living on a different planet to the rest of us. The continuing assertions that KEMP is NOT a greenfield site and they will NOT be building on the park are just insulting to anyone who lives in the East End and who enjoys KEMP.

It’s not the foreshore. It’s the park.

And it is so annoying that their slick presentation boards all say ‘King Edward Memorial Park Foreshore’. It’s not the foreshore. It’s the park. So stop telling us different.

If Thames Water get their way KEMP will become an urban wasteland for seven years. After that who know’s what it will look like. Does anyone in London actually believe Thames Water’s ‘artist impressions’ of the end result?

And all this to increase the profits of Thames Water and its Australian parent company Macquarie. Couldn’t they just buy some lottery tickets if they need some more cash like the rest of us?

Nobody believed a word Thames Water were saying – excuse us for being cynical – and when one of the Thames Water team pushed being economical with the truth a little too far when talking to two of our most distinguished friends our Toni Davey our Community Officer got more than a little hacked off.

“To produce ‘pimped up’ drawings of what our park MIGHT look like is patronising to say the least,” said Toni. “But to think we should be grateful for the IMPROVEMENTS that they believe they are making to our park is just crossing the line!”

The shears

You can’t come in here with those shears dear!

On a more comical note one of the visitors to the drop in had bought a quality pair of second hand hedge shears from Watney Market for three quid on her way to Glamis.

On seeing said shears the security officer confiscated them but we can report they were duly returned after the event.

Quite what he thought might be done with the shears is not recorded. Although various suggestions were made…

Don’t be ignored

More than one visitor to the super sewer drop in said that they were not going to bother filling in the Phase Two Consultation Feedback Form as ‘They would just ignore them.”

While this is perfectly understandable the Save KEMP team would urge everyone to complete the feedback forms online or on paper.

Visit with Thames Water

And remember that you can visit the Thames Water Super Sewer Plop Drop In on Thursday 24 November at Glamis Estate Tenant’s Hall 414 Cable Street, E1 0AF from 2pm to 8pm and also Saturday 26 November 10am-4pm or you can of course visit their website and give your feedback online.